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Thera 1.19: Kula
Tipitaka >> Sutta Pitaka >> Khuddaka Nikaya >> Theragatha >> Thera(19):Kula Adapted from the Archaic Translation by Mrs. C.A.F. Rhys Davids. Commentary (Atthakatha) By Acariya Dhammapala Note: 'C' in Pali text is pronounced as 'ch' as in 'China'. ---- Chapter I. Single Verses =19. Kula= Reborn in this Buddha-age at Sāvatthī of a brahmin(priest) family, he entered the Monk’s order, but from want of mental balance could not concentrate on a given idea.1 Now one day going to the town for alms, he saw men conducting running water wherever they wished by digging channels. Within the town he marked out of the corner of his eye2 how the bow maker fixed the arrow-shaft in his lathe, and leaving with full bowl he saw the chariot-makers planing axle and tire and hub. So entering the Vihāra(monastery) he dined; then during siesta he pondered on these three modes of taming things, making them his goad, and applying them to his own need of self-mastery. So striving he not long after won arahantship(enlightenment). And connecting those object-lessons with his own heart's taming, he declared aññā(supreme attainment) in this verse: ---- 19 Udakaɱ hi nayanti nettikā usukāro namayanti tejanaɱ|| Dāruɱ namayanti tacchakā attānaɱ damayanti subbatā' ti.|| || ---- 19 The canal-makers lead the stream, Bow makers straighten the arrow-shaft, The joiners mould the wooden plank; The self-it is that the pious, tame.3 ---- 1 Visesaɱ nibbattetuɱ. Cf. Childers, s.v. Viseso. 2 See Vin. Texts, i. 59: 'With downcast eye.' Practically directed on to the ground about a plough's length in front of him (Commentary). 3 This verse recurs in CCLV., and occurs twice in the Dhammapada, being assigned, in the Commentary on that work, to one Paṇḍita-sāmanera at verse 8O, and to Sukha-sāmanera at verse 145. Both are of Sāvatthī also, and both are described as making object-lessons of human skill over matter in the crafts referred to. But in the former instance the story is much expanded. ---- 1.2-919 Commentary on the stanza of =Kula Thera= The stanza starting with”udakaṃ hi nayanti” constitutes that of the venerable Thera Kula. What is the origin? It is said that this Thera formaly also having accumulated abundant good deeds conducive towards escape from rounds of repeated rebirths, was endowed with devoted duties (adhikāra), saw the Blessed One Vipassī going through the sky, became pious-minded and stood being desirous of offering coconut fruit. The Master came to known his intention descended and accepted his offering. He became exceedingly pious-minded and because of that self-same proper gain of pious faith, approached the Master, and asked fore monkhood. The Master gave His order to a certain bhikkhu(monk) thus:– “Make this man a monk. He became initiated, received the upasampadā ordination, performed the duties of a monk, passed away thence, wandered about his rounds of repeated rebirths among divine and human beings for six interim periods of Buddhas (buddhantara) and was reborn in a brahmin family in Sāvatthi when this Buddha arose. His name was Kula. On having come of age, he gained piety in the dispensation, became a monk in the presence of the Blessed One, but was not able to bring about distinction (visesa) because of abundance of perplexities (vikkhepa). Then, one day on entering the village for his alms-food, saw men leading water in places whereever wanted after having made water carrier by having dug the earth, on his way, marked it well, and the village happened to have been entered. There he saw certain arrow-maker making his arrow straight after looking at it with an extremity of his eye having thrown the arrow rod into the arrow-machine (yanta), marked well that also and as he went on he saw carpenters fashioning such details of a chariot-wheel as spoke, rim, nave and so on, after having gone in front, marked well that also, entered his monastery, finished eating his meal, arranged his bowl and robe, took his seat in his day stay, collected the characteristics seen by himself as the condition of illustration, carried close towards subduing his mind and thought over thus:– “People lead such an inanimate object (acetanaṃ) also as water to the place wherever wanted; likewise fletchers straighten by bending methodically even a crooked inanimate arrow-rod; likewise carpenters made the crooked inanimate pieces of timber and wood and so on by way of rim of a wheel, etc., then why should I not make my own mind straight.” He developed clear insight (vipassanā), exerted himself, made effort and attained Arahantship but before long. Therefore, it has been stated in the Apadāna:– “I was then an attendant of an ārāma in the city of Bandhumatī. I saw the stainless (viraja) Buddha going in the sky. Having collected a coconut fruit I offered it to the most excellent Buddha; the greatly reputed Buddha, standing in the sky, accepted (my offering). My prosperity was well promoted, it was the bringer of immediate happiness, after having offered the fruit with my mind purely pleased. I then achieved elated zest and most excellent happiness also in abundnce. Gem but sprang up (to me) who was born here and there. It was ninetyone aeons (kappa) ago that I then offered the fruit. I do not remember any evil existence; this is the fruitful (1) result of fruit offering.(1) My celestial eye had been clearly purified; I have become clever in concentration (samādhi). I have attained perfection in higher-knowledge (abhiññā); thus is the fruitful (1) result of fruit (1) offering. My depravity has been burmt; … Buddha’s instruction has been carried out. Having made in this manner whatever characteistics (nimitta) as guiding goad (aṇkusa), he developed pure insight (vipassanā) and attained Arahantship. Having associated the subduing of his own mind along with those characteristics he uttered a stanza starting with “udakaṃ hi nayanti nettikā” in order to make manifest his Arahantship (aññā). (1) There is play of word to display pun in the Pāḷi word “Phala” mentioned twice in each of the two stanzas. My translation will speak for it. 19. There udakaṃ hi is to be construed thus:– The grammatical word hi is simply an indeclinable particle (nipāta). Nayanti means:– having dug this or that high-level on the earth, filled up the low-lying level or having made a water-course (mātika) or having placed a (wooden) trough (made from) a tree, they lead (the water) to whatever place wanted by themselves. Likewise they lead; thus, nettikā (conduit makers). Tejā naṃ means arrow (kaṇ̄daṃ). This is what has been stated:– Conduit makers nayanti (direct) the (course of) water to any place, wherever wanted according to their own desire (ruci); arrow makers also (usukārāpi) having had the arrow heated (namayanti) straighten it. By way of bending, tacchakā (wood-workers) in doing their wood-work for the purpose of building up such material as rim of a cart-wheel and so on, dāruṃ namayanti make either straight or curve (vaṇka) according to his own desire (ruci) as basic object of operating consciousness (ārammaṇa) subbatā firmly wise people (dhīrā) who possess excellent practice (vata) with such quality as moral precept and so on according as they take upon themselves to observe, provoking such destination as the first stage (sotāpatti) of the right path (magga), attānaṃ damenti become known as definitely subdued when, however, they had attained Arahantship. The Commentary on the stanza of the Thera Kula is complete. ----